At Glow Veterinary Home Care, we come to you.
Glow Veterinary Home Care was created from the belief that veterinary care should feel personal, gentle, and unrushed. We are here to support pets and the people who love them through every stage of life — with warmth, empathy, honest guidance, and care that feels safe and familiar. Glow Veterinary Home Care Ltd. is 100% local, independently owned and operated by me, Dr. Jennifer Halverson.
Here's a little about the people behind the practice.
Jennifer Halverson DVM
I have lived on Vancouver Island for more than 45 years and am very proud to call this Island home. My passion and love for animals have been a guiding light in my life for as long as I can remember. I have been a dedicated companion animal veterinarian for more than 20 years, and since selling my practice in Nanaimo, I am looking forward to my next chapter. I recently experienced surgical complications that left me in excruciating pain and I had limited mobility for months. Once fully healed and thankfully pain free, I was inspired to make veterinary care more accessible. The vision that I have for Glow Vet is to provide veterinary care to dogs and cats that would prefer to be in their home environment and to help people who struggle to bring pets into traditional veterinary clinics by making veterinary care available in their home. I am eager to be able to provide in-home veterinary care for dogs and cats through Glow Vet – whether it’s needed for routine prescriptions of flea/tick medication and dewormers using telemedicine, in-person diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions, managing end-of-life care with palliation or euthanasia.
I want your pets to have a healthy glow as long as they can and I see the value in treating chronic conditions in people’s homes where they and their pet are most comfortable. Blood pressure evaluations in a traditional veterinary clinic can be difficult to interpret when stress levels are high, and I think there will be value in being able to take blood pressure measurements in a home environment. I love that I will be able to diagnose and treat cats at home without them being jostled in their carriers on the trip to and from a clinic when they are already uncomfortable. I look forward to offering monthly injections of pain relief to senior pets that really don’t want to leave the comfort of
their own homes, and I love the idea of lowering stress and hassle for not just your pet but for you - the pet parent too.
And I see the need for people and their pets to be as comfortable as possible, together in the privacy of their own homes, during their last few precious moments together. I hope to continue to have the trust of our community and the opportunity to guide you in your time of need when you say goodbye to your pets. I want to honour your bond, love and commitment to them by providing a peaceful, safe,
calm, at-home end of life. I understand that this is an incredibly difficult time for you and your family and my goal is to make the process as smooth as possible and respect your wishes. I want you to communicate any special requests that you may have, and I want you to feel comfortable with the entire journey. I want you to feel relief that we did everything we could to have you and your pet comfortable, respected and loved in their last moments spent with you. And I want you to be able to grieve openly and not have to drive to and from a veterinary clinic when you are so upset. I take this responsibility seriously and will do everything I can to reduce your stress, honour your pet and come up with a plan you feel comfortable with. I want your heart to glow with the memory of your pet’s life with you, including their passing.
Boo-Boo
Naughty Baby
Steph Hains RVT
My love for animals began at an early age, and that love turned into a career when I began my first job as a veterinary assistant in my early teens. After completing the veterinary technologist course at Lakeland College, I moved to Vancouver Island and enjoyed a very fulfilling 17 year career working for small animal practices in Parksville and Nanaimo. As a new grad, I enjoyed the more technical challenges of critical care, anesthesia, and surgery, but as I matured, I began to better appreciate the impact of building strong connections with pet owners and supporting them as we worked together to provide the best possible care throughout the entire lifespan of their pet. I also developed a greater understanding of the higher need for support during the senior years and during end of life visits. My more recent work as a psychiatric nurse has broadened my understanding of the human experience, grief, and how a non-judgemental, trusting approach to understanding each other can significantly improve the quality of care. I believe this is also true in the veterinary field, where a strong foundation of understanding the goals and strengths of pet owners will enhance the level of care we provide for their beloved pets. I look forward to working with Dr. Halverson, and with our future clients and patients, to provide quality, compassionate, and warm care at home.
